End-gate



UNITED STATES PATENT EEicEe LEVIS C. ALBERT, OF DE ITT, MISSOURI.

END-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent YNo. 552,088, dated December 31 18,95.

Application filed March 8, 1895. Serial No. 541,009. (No model.) l

' To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS C. ALBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at De Witt, in the county of Carroll and State of Missouri, have invented' a new and useful End-Gate, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in end-gates.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and improve the construction of endgates, to dispenseV with the transverse rods ordinarily employed for connecting the sides of a wagon-body, and to provide an end-gate which may be readily removed without sliding it upward out of the cleats of the wagonbody.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide an end-gate of the class described which may be readily replaced in the ways of the wagon-body without manipulating' any fastening device, and which in closing will lock automatically.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wagon-body provided with an end-gate constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, the end-gate being partly open. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the endgate.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawings.

l designates an end-gatecomposed of two sections 2 and 3, connected at their inner adjacent ends by a vert-ical hinge 4:, arranged on the inner faces of the sections and adapted to permit the latter to break at the middle of the end-gate and to swing outward to permit the ends of the end board or gate to be withdrawn from cleats 5 of sides 6 -of a wagon-body. The outer ends of the sections 2 and 3 are provided with rigid horizontallydisposed hooks '7, extending through openings 8 of the sides of the wagon-body when the end-gate is in operative position and engaging the outer faces of the sides 6, and preventing their separation or outward movement, and thereby dispensing with the usual construction of transverse rods ordinarily employed for that purpose.

Each opening is lined by a thimble 9,`form- I ing a smooth surface and provided at its outer end with a flange 10, secured by screws or other fastening devices to the outer face of the side of the wagon-body. The sections 2 and 3 are provided on their outer faces, adjacent to the inner ends of the Shanks of the hooks 7, with vertical cleats 11, arranged adjacent to the cleats of the wagon-body, and supporting the parts and contributing to the strength of the end-gate.

The sections 2 and 3 are secured rigidly in alignment when the end-gate is in position for closing the rear end of the wagon-body by a plate or bar 12, secured to the section 2, and projecting beyond the same and overlapping and fitting against the outer face of the other section 3, and forming an arm which is engaged by a spring-actuated bolt 13, whereby it is held flat against the section 3 and the end-gate is rigidly held in operative position.

The spring-actuated bolt 13 is mounted in a casing 14E, which is secured by screws or other fastening devices to the outer face of the section 3, and the arm which is formed by the plate 12 is provided with the handle or loop 15, which enables it to be readily engaged by the hand, and the arm serves asa .lever for swinging the sections outward.

rlhe beveled face of the bolt 13 is arranged at the outer side in position to be engaged by the arm as the sections 2 and 3 are brought into alignment,and the shouldered or straight face of the bolt is arranged parallel with the adjacent section and forms with the same an intervening space to receive the end of the arm. By this construction the locking of the sections is automatic, and it is unnecessary to push the bolt bach to engage the same with the arm, and by simply forcing the sections .inward into alignment the arm is carried into engagement with the bolt and automatically depresses the same and passes behind it.

It will be seen-that the end-gate is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength and durability, that it may be readily mounted or placed in a wagon-body, and that it may be quickly IOO tending over the joint and overlapping the inner portion of the other section, and a spring actuated bolt mounted on the latter beyond the arm andr having a beveled end arranged to be engaged by the free end of the arm in closing the sections and having its beveled face at the outer side and adapted to be depressed by the arm, a space being provided between the inner side of the bolt and the end gate for the reception of the arm, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

4LEWIS C. ALBERT. Witnesses: i

HUGH MCCLELLAND, CLINTON F. BARRY. 

